What Are The Possible Causes Of Uncertainty About

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What are the possible causes of uncertainty about identity in contemporary society? Introduction Define identity and the factors that shape it. State essay topics to be discussed – social class Main body Marx and Weber views Luton study – instrumentalism – importance of life outside work Saunders – consumption – voting patterns Compare Luton and Saunders Destruction of class – changes in work patterns – end of unions Conclusion Personal opinion – low value of class – consumerism reigns Identity is a way of describing who we are both as individuals and as members of larger groups. Identities can be formed by both structural and agency means and are shaped by factors such as gender, ethnicity, status, race and social class. This essay will attempt to show causes of uncertainty about identity due to changes in the area of social class. ( Marx and Weber would argue that class is related to economic factors and occupation. During the early 1960s a study undertaken at a Luton car plant concluded that the traditional working class identity was being eroded (Woodward, 2004). In the wake of economic prosperity and over 10 years of Conservative government a new working class evolved being identified by ‘instrumentalism’, basically working purely for money. The new working class put more importance on life outside of the working environment, such as family, and this individualistic action bred uncertainty within social class as an identity. ( The premise that class as an element of identity was changing and being replaced by other factors developed further during the 1980s and 1990s. The British sociologist Peter Saunders argued that lifestyle differences and consumption processes had now become more important factors in accounting for social attitudes and behaviour (Woodward, 2004). Together with other social scientists Saunders argued that the shift in
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